The Great Escape, In-House to Agency
Ever poured your soul into a campaign, only for it to die because someone new got added to the email chain and their first contribution was:
“Not sure… can we make it… more blue?”
Yeah. That used to be my Roman Empire.
Now? I’m agency-side. And honestly, what a slay (official marketing term).
My Swiss Army Marketer Era
In-house recruitment marketing teaches you a lot. Like how to design a social tile in Canva while writing newsletter copy and producing a last-minute TikTok on your phone. And without these skills I wouldn’t be able to support my clients to deliver these things now, admittedly in a much more orderly fashion (we call it ‘strategy’).
You juggle it all because you’re the only person not billing, and you somehow also become:
• Office DJ
• Emergency printer fixer
• Person Who Buys the Milk
Try wearing every hat at once. You soon find your head gets a bit... hot?
But being a jack-of-all-marketing-trades gave me the perfect understanding of what a recruitment business needs, how it functions, and why those font changes really are important.
Being Managed vs. Being Coached
A recruiter managing a marketer is rarely beneficial for either party. Creatives and salespeople work well together in so many ways because they are different. But that doesn’t mean they can form the very best marketing strategy for a multi-market, high-performing business. And that’s ok.
At an agency, I’m surrounded by actual marketing specialists. That means:
• Copywriters who boost SEO
• Designers who know Canva isn’t where graphics begin and end
• Video editors who can showcase our clients’ personalities across perfectly
• Social media savants who know how to make a post boom
• And me! Tying it all together with my in-house wisdom and Swiss knife approach
I finally get to focus on what I love, and hand the design work to... the designers. Yipee.
Comfort vs. Chaos
Agency life is crazy, I can’t deny that:
• The pace is fast
• The deadlines are tight
• The energy is electric
But boredom? Never met her.
You swap pre-event panic for well-planned execution, multi-channel overwhelm for collaborative creativity. And honestly, I’ll take a last-minute launch campaign over comfortable confusion in a corner any day.
The Great Escape…
For me, moving to an agency wasn’t about running away from an in-house life. I know those years in-house gave me the industry foundation (and cat-like reflexes) that teed me up so well to sit on the other side.
By stepping into a place where I could grow, with people who push me, teach me, and get the difference between proper marketing (and everything else), I feel like I’m learning faster and working harder than ever before.
(Can’t deny that I don’t miss being asked to order printer ink anymore, though.)
If you’re an in-house marketer wondering whether the grass is greener on the agency side...
It is.
Just because there are a lot more people watering it.
Interested in exploring the other side at Kitto? We’re hiring an account lead to join our team, to find out more, contact hiring@kitto.uk.